Let Us Prey

SYNOPSIS

When a menacing stranger (Game of Thrones' Liam Cunningham) winds up in the purgatory of a small-town police cell, a terrifying chain reaction begins among his fellow inmates. As madness descends, blood starts to flow and WPC Rachel Heggie (Pollyanna McIntosh) finds herself with her back to the wall, fighting for her life.

With echoes of John Carpenter and Dario Argento, director Brian O'Malley expertly builds the tension from a slow-burning start to an absolutely explosive, nerve-shredding finale.

Judge, Jury and Executioner are waiting in Let Us Prey.

REVIEWS

Taste of Cinema names Let Us Prey as one of the "20 European Horror Films From The 21st Century You Must Watch"! Read the full article here.

Starburstmagazine.com: Right from the doom-rock credit sequence of barbed wire dripping with fresh blood, squadrons of crows swarming in slow motion and darkened thunderclouds rolling overhead, O'Malley has marked himself as a talent to watch. Striking a perfect balance of suspense, violence, humour, story and action, LET US PREY feels at once classic and modern. You will not be disappointed. 10 out of 10!

Eyeforfilm.co.uk: Director Brian O'Malley and writers David Cairns and Fiona Watson do an excellent job of navigating the stereotype minefield of this type of horror film, with the hypocrisy and Calvinist repression of the rural community very much to the fore. There are plenty of funny lines, the earliest of which are delivered with characteristic brio by Jonathan Watson of Only An Excuse fame. Credit must go to cinematographer Piers McGrail whose sumptuous visuals add to the tension and creeping sense of dread and bring to mind French slasher flick Switchblade Romance. There's plenty gore to keep horror fiends satisfied, yet enough intrigue and chuckles to appeal to a wider audience too.

Culturefix.co.uk: There is some fun chaos in Let Us Prey's final moments as officers and prisoners battle for survival in a violent frenzy. The setting of a locked down prison also gives things a nasty, claustrophobic atmosphere and Polyanna McIntosh makes a likeable kick-ass action heroine.

Reelinsights.co.uk: It is a grim tale of damnation and death which all takes place within a confined space, adding to the tension of the unpredictable plot. From start to finish the film is relentlessly unnerving; full of jumps and twists to keep your fists clenched until its dramatic and operatic finale.

Quipmag.com: If you're looking for a new thriller to watch that'll keep you on edge with what to expect as well as a mysterious protagonist with an attitude and appearance that screams judgment day has come, you'll love Let Us Prey. Director, Brian O'Malley, brings the audience the perfect blend of suspense, gore, and humor. Cunnigham most certainly backs the thought that a person with confidence is sexy, through his tonality and assertiveness in his expression, posture and words. I personally do not think a better actor could have carried out the role. Manipulating and taking souls of sinners has never been more alluringly done.Fire, bloodshed, madness, and the inevitable death to sinners – Let Us Prey will make you rethink your own wrongdoings and repent for them before midnight strikes.

Fantasticfest.com: The film has a solid cast featuring THE WOMAN's Pollyanna McIntosh as Heggie and Liam Cunningham from GAME OF THRONES as the mysterious stranger. Cunningham is particularly cold and menacing in his role, blending perfectly with the atmosphere created by the score and cinematography. LET US PREY is a surprisingly brutal film with a pitch black soul and just a hint of gallows humor thrown in for good measure.

Efilmcritic.com: Pollyanna McIntosh owns this movie as Rachel, with the hard-ass rookie cop absolutely holding her own against the other characters, all of whom are against her at various moments. She's a taut mass of determined body language but never becomes monotonous, in part because she's damn good at letting the audience see how much she's trying to look tougher than she fears she may be even while still being fairly formidable. McIntosh is complemented by Liam Cunningham, who is great as a sarcastic spirit of vengeance. Once "Six" reveals himself as not being the victim Rachel expected, Cunningham gets to spot gravelly, disdainful lines at the whole cast of characters in a way that's just barbed enough to get under their skin; is a sort of certainty and control that is obvious without announcing itself. They've got good support, too, with Bryan Larkin and Hanna Stanbridge playing partners in more ways than one, Douglas Russell taking a reserved character in eye-opening directions, and a jail full of folks rope for retribution.

Kneelbeforeblog.co.uk: This film was really entertaining. It was violent, unsettlingly atmospheric, hilarious in places and shocking in others. A strong cast rounds out this strangely violent tale with a supernatural edge. Highly worth a watch.

Soundonsight.org: From the opening shots of Cunningham standing atop a craggy shore, looking for all the world like the world's most sinister puffin, to the fiery, violent climax. Let Us Prey feels truly apocalyptic, and the chilling final shot gives the sense that what we've seen was just the overture to something even more horrifying. Let Us Prey presents a lot for horror fans to love: an interesting idea, held on the shoulders of some very strong performances and expertly maintained atmosphere and tension, with enough violence and gore to keep things interesting without being excessive. With only eight characters, and a few sets, director Brian O'Malley's feature debut strikes a perfect balance of suspense, violence, humour, plotting and action. Prey feels at once classic and modern; the film wears its influences on its sleeve but manages to feel fresh all the same. O'Malley is clearly a fan of early John Carpenter, and Let Us Prey features a glorious electronic score alongside several nods to Assault On Precinct 13. Cinematographer Piers McGrail keeps the shots, tight, closed and claustrophobic, using mostly slow, creeping camera movements and as the film progresses, O'Malley ramps up the tension and the chaos, culminating in a superb, quasi-religious, climax with ample amounts of brutal violence and bloody carnage. Let Us Prey took home the esteemed Melies D'argent award when it made its world premiere at the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival this past March. O'Malley has marked himself as a talent to watch, and this is just the beginning of what looks to be a very promising career.

Houseofgeekery.com (EIFF 2014 Review): A fucking great time and a new must-see for genre fans. Intense as hell, bloody as fuck and with some of the most twisted humor I've seen in a film, it's just so much fun. The prison setting and themes of retribution and judgment add an extra layer to the whole thing and the characters all give it their all with McIntosh and Cunningham coming out on top, McIntosh might be one of the best final girls I've seen in a long time. Plus Macready who far and away is the most entertaining character I've seen this year. It's a blast and if you're a fan of horror then keep your eyes peeled for when this is released. 9/10!

Screenrelish.com (Grimmfest 2014 Review): Fiona Watson and Dave Cairns' script is superbly lean, yet there is something ambitious at the centre of all the horrific happenings despite such a small-scale. You get the sense O'Malley and his cast have something to say on the darkness of human nature and that anyone can be corrupted... just as long as they're willing to pay the price. Your soul!

Craveonline.com: Let Us Prey is a solid horror tale featuring a badass heroine. The hows and whys put a good twist on the genre, and no matter how crazy it gets, you'll be rooting for Rachel.

Thehorrorshowtv.tumblr.com (Scott Weinberg): Crisply and cleverly put together. On one side we have the insidious and evil Liam Cunningham; on the other is the noble and heroic Pollyanna McIntosh. Basically, Let Us Prey follows one of the golden rules of indie horror filmmaking: take something you like (in this case, Assault on Precinct 13 or any sort of self-contained "ticking clock" thriller) and then combine that with enough fresh material to make your own mark. Let Us Prey is half an homage to horror stories you already know, and half a collection of themes, ideas, moments, and shocks you might not see coming. And even if you do, there's more than enough energy here to keep things fun as it all plays out. Fun stuff.

AustinChronicle.com: Not since Calvary has there been a film more likely to piss off the National League of Decency, nor has there been one that really tests the definitions and subtexts of faith. Admittedly, this does all that under the guise of being a smart, tense, disturbing, and sly horror film.

Fangoria.com: LET US PREY is one of the more satisfying and utterly savage horror films in recent memory, touching on morality plays while dishing out artful sadism of the highest order. Brian O'Malley refashions familiar fright film tropes and relationships into something much more sinister, all the while providing a somewhat fantastic atmosphere from the combination of a chilling visual composition and provocative cinematic storytelling. Throw in some incredible and committed performances all-around, LET US PREY is the kind of brutal nightmare fare that gorehounds often clamor for but rarely receive.

AWARDS

2014 Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film: Silver Méliès

2014 Festival de Cine de Terror de Molins de Rei: Audience Award

2014 Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Audience Choice Award for Best Music